Alexei practiced what little English he knew with some of the crew. He then moved to the back of the plane and found a spot for Lev and him to get some needed sleep.
The flight over the Northern Pacific ocean was smooth and uneventful. Shortly after crossing the Aleutian Islands, Pamela radioed the Weather Bureau in King Salmon for the latest conditions into Fairbanks. They suggested she divert to Anchorage since Fairbanks had dense fog.
On hearing this, Pamela asked her co-pilot to fetch Alexei. As Alexei wiped the sleep from his eyes, Pamela told him, speaking mostly in Russian, the change in plans. She explained that landing in Anchorage would make it easier to continue his journey since it is closer to Iliamna. There are mail flights out of Anchorage airport to Iliamna and other nearby villages. She said, “I will write a letter of introduction and explain your need to get to Iliamna. I am sure you will have no trouble getting a flight. When we land, I’ll check the situation in Fairbanks, and then we shall find you a mail flight.”
“That’s so nice of you. How can I ever thank you for doing this?”
“No thanks are needed. It has been a welcome break having you and Lev on board. Just remember to keep all of this to yourself. Please don’t tell anyone you were on the flight.”
“No I won’t.”
On entering Anchorage airspace, Pamela radioed the control tower for instructions. She then vectored the B25-D into the landing pattern, put the aircraft on the ground and taxied to the cargo area.
After a quick briefing with the crew, Pamela said, “Let’s be off Alexei. We need to clear customs and find you a flight to Iliamna.” To her co-pilot she said, “Re-check the weather in Fairbanks, clear customs, get us refueled, and if needed, someplace to stay for the night. I will be back shortly.”
Alexei, in his best English, and Lev, with his tail wagging furiously, thanked the crew and said their goodbyes.
After clearing customs, Pamela and Alexei walked over to the next hanger to find the mail and cargo flights. Pamela asked around, and they were directed to a pilot standing by the far wall. Walking over, Pamela said, “Hello. I am Pamela Paton, and this is Alexei.”
“Hi. I’m Owen Hammond. Didn’t you just fly in on that B-25?”
“Yes we did.”
Owen commented, “Looks like that plane has seen better days! How can I help you?”
“Alexei is looking for a ride to Iliamna. He speaks only a little English. He is to meet eventually with the Parish Priest in the community of Kokhanok. Can you get him as far as Iliamna?”
“You have come to the right place. I will be taking off tomorrow morning for several villages, including Iliamna, to deliver cargo and the mail.”
Pamela said, “If you could drop him off at the Lodge in Iliamna I would be happy to pay you for your effort.”
Alexei said, “Don’t forget Lev.”
“I forgot to mention that Alexei has a dog named Lev. It is a long story, but they are inseparable.”
“Lev will be no problem. I have hauled dog sled teams before. Don’t worry about paying me. Alexei, if you will help me unload and load at a couple of villages before we get to Iliamna you can fly for free.”
After the arrangements had been completed, with a brief translation by Pamela, Alexei understood and was happy with the arrangements. Alexei said, “Okay... thanks...”
Alexei asked if he could stay in the hanger for the night. The pilot said, “There is a blanket just behind the back seat. You can sleep on the plane. There is a bathroom with a place to wash up over there. Do you have anything to eat?”
Alexei, in halting English, replied, “Have food in knapsack... Lev and I okay...”
“I will bring you something in the morning. We will be taking off at dawn.”
After saying their goodbyes, Pamela returned to her crew in the transit flight area. She learned from her co-pilot that they were stuck for the night as the fog had not yet cleared in Fairbanks. Pamela thought to herself: One more night and then we will be in Fairbanks and hopefully a day or so of rest before our next assignment.
Alexei took Lev outside to a grassy area for a walk then went to the bathroom to cleanup. He and Lev finished off the food they had. Alexei got a drink of water from the fountain and filled a tin for Lev to drink. They then bedded down in the back seat of the plane. Alexei grabbed his journal and wrote: Tasha, I have a new hero. She is beautiful and an excellent pilot. I will probably never see her again, but I hope to see you soon.
Just before it became light outside, Alexei was woken up by Owen, who said, “Take Lev out for a walk, it will be a while till we get there. When you get back, you can help me load the aircraft.” During loading, the pilot asked Alexei about Lev and was told the story in his somewhat halting English.
After performing the preflight and getting instructions from the tower, they took off with the rising sun to their backs. Owen said, “Alexei, the twin-engine amphibious aircraft, you are flying in, is a Grumman G-44 Widgeon. Smaller than a G-21 Goose, it has a range of 960 miles and a maximum speed of 160 mph.”
After almost an hour of flight time, plus stops to unload cargo and mail at two villages, a spectacular vista burst upon the windscreen. Noticing Alexei’s astonishment, Owen said, “This is Lake Iliamna. It is 75 miles long and 25 miles wide. It is 1,000 feet deep at the Eastern end of the lake.” It reminded Alexei of Lake Baikal near Irkutsk in Siberia. Owen said, “We will cross over the upper-half of the lake on our way to the Iliamna Village.”
After a slightly bumpy landing on a gravel runway, Alexei helped unload the mail and cargo into the old, but still running, truck parked nearby. They rode into the village. Owen arranged with the owner for Alexei to stay at the Lodge until the mail boat arrives in a few days. Fishing season is over, and hunting season has not yet started. The Lodge owner told Alexei that if he helped out with some cleanup left over from the fishing season he would not charge him anything for room and board. Alexei happily agreed. Lev loved being there as he had the whole outdoors in which to romp.
The day the mail boat arrived, Alexei and Lev walked down to the dock. The captain of the boat, by the name of Boyd, had received a radio message from the Lodge owner the night before mentioning Alexei. The captain hailed Alexei, “I’ll throw you the lines. Tie up the forward line first. Then tie up the aft line. I understand you have had some experience with boats.”
“Yes. A little... on rivers... Volga... Kama... “
“Good. I can use your help to load and unload. Tomorrow you can help with the refueling. It is an all day job. We also need to load some construction equipment to deliver to Kokhanok. It is about four hours running time from here. I understand you need to get to the parish priest there?”
“Yes. My English... not good... am staying... Father Duncan... war over... I go home... Russia.”
Noticing Alexei’s limp, he asked, “What happened to your leg.”
“Fell... leg broke... three years ago... heal not good... “
“That’s a shame. It seems like you’re getting around okay in spite of it. I understand your problem. I lost my left eye five years ago in a fishing accident. It kept me out of the service. Though I do my part keeping my eyes open and talking to the Army Air Force at King Salmon on the radio on a regular basis. Have to help the war effort.”
“We will leave the day after tomorrow. In the meantime, grab your stuff and bring it on board. You can sleep in one of the upper bunks. Lev will have to get his ‘sea legs’ while we cross the lake to Kokhanok. I radioed Father Duncan that we would arrive the day after tomorrow.”
“Lev should be okay... riding on trains... many years... good train legs...” Alexei then told him the story how he and Lev met.
As an afterthought, the boat captain added, “Maybe while you are here at the lake you could work for me. I will be picking up and delivering mail and cargo for a few more weeks until the weather halts my operation for the winter. I could use some help. With the war on, it is impossible to find anyone to work for me.”
“Yes... Okay.”
“Captain, boat name MV-TRAVIS BOYD? Your name?... Not a woman’s name?...”
“Yes, I changed the name. A boat normally has a woman’s name. But, I named it after my son Travis. He died on a Navy destroyer in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. I wanted to memorialize him. His mother died a year later of cancer. I should probably have painted her name on the boat. The Coast Guard registration papers are down in the cabin somewhere. I keep thinking I’m going to change the name to that of my deceased wife and then send in the papers, but it doesn’t seem to get done.”
“Alexei, this boat was built in Portland. That’s in the state of Oregon. There were only two ever built. It is a unique design along the lines of a Columbia River fishing boat. It is 37 feet long and has a 100hp diesel engine. It has a mast and boom with a powered winch for loading and unloading cargo. The builder in Portland shipped the boat to Bristol Bay. I picked it up there, ran it through some trials and then brought it up the Kvichak River to Lake Iliamna.”
With Lev trailing behind him, Alexei hiked up to the lodge, grabbed his knapsack and said goodbye. They headed back to the boat, and Captain Boyd showed Alexei where to stash his stuff. Lev was excited at being in a new place. Later that evening, after loading supplies, Captain Boyd, and Alexei headed up to the Lodge for dinner. Alexei said, “Lev stay with the boat. I will bring you some food when we are through.” Alexei spoke a mixture of English and Russian to Lev, who seemed to be catching on as fast as Alexei. After eating, Alexei gathered up a pile of scraps for Lev, and he and Captain Boyd headed back to the boat.
Lev greeted them warmly. Alexei put the dinner scraps in a tin on the deck, and Lev devoured them heartily. The Captain radioed the Weather Station at King Salmon for the latest report. After he signed off, he said, “A storm is brewing over the Aleutians. We will have to watch it carefully. Let’s get some sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow.”
Lev curled up in the pilot house on an old blanket Captain Boyd had found. All seemed calm in the little harbor with just a slight breeze blowing. Alexei grabbed the journal out of his knapsack and, under the dim light over his bunk, wrote what occurred the past few days. His thoughts were of home—he missed everyone and hoped they were safe. He thought: I hope Grigory is finding his way around his temporary home. When will this war end so that we can all get home? As Alexei closed his journal and turned the light off, he heard Captain Boyd snoring. He thought: I’m so tired even the snoring won’t keep me awake.
Dawn broke on a dismal and somewhat windy day; rain was not far off. Captain Boyd said, “Come with me, and I will show you what needs to be done to refuel the boat. It is not difficult, just tedious. At the end of the dock are the drums of diesel fuel. There is water in the fuel so we will have to filter it. Here is what we do. Use the hand pump to fill up those five gallon containers. We then carry them to the boat. There is a fuel tank valve on either side of the boat, and we will need to use both. We pour the fuel into the tank through a funnel with a chamois over it. The chamois will filter out the water. Okay, let’s get started. You fill up the five cans and bring them to the boat. I will pour the fuel into the tank. In about an hour, we will take a break and get some breakfast at the lodge.”
During the day, it began to rain—a fine misty rain. The wind continued steadily. Alexei and the Captain finished refueling and loading a few supplies. After loading the construction equipment, they cleaned up and headed to the lodge for dinner. When finished, they said their goodbyes and headed back to the boat. The Captain said, “You were a real help today. Take Lev out. I will get us ready to get under way first thing tomorrow morning.”
The rain was heavy and steady as Alexei and Lev returned from their morning walk. Shortly after dawn, as Alexei coiled the lines, the boat got underway. Captain Boyd radioed King Salmon for the latest weather report, and it wasn’t good. A major storm was coming in off the Aleutians and heading toward Bristol Bay. With nothing but tundra between Bristol Bay and the lake, there is nothing to stop the howling wind and driving rain. The Captain said, “We should be alright. The boat can take heavy seas. It will take about four hours to cross the lake and reach Kokhanok. I radioed Father Duncan and let him know we should be arriving just after noon. He said he would have people at the dock to help unload the construction equipment. He is looking forward to meeting you and Lev.”
As they left the protection of the tiny harbor, the boat began pitching from the four foot waves and strong wind. The compass direction to Kokhanok kept them quartered into the wind and waves. With the steady rain, visibility was not good, and Captain Boyd asked Alexei to shut Lev in the cabin below, so that Alexei could keep a watch out the port side of the boat. All navigation on the lake was by dead-reckoning since there were no navigation aids available.
Alexei looked forward to the last leg of his journey. He kept wondering what Kokhanok would be like and looked forward to meeting Father Duncan. He would be happy to turn over the responsibility for the parcel to him—at least for the time that he would be there. It has been a heavy burden to carry.
About two hours out, five foot waves were now running. Even with its heavy load, the boat handled the conditions well, and the Captain was able to keep on course.
Captain Boyd radioed for the latest weather report. The meteorologist informed him that the storm will hit Lake Iliamna with heavy rain, and 40 knot wind gusts about 2:00pm.
At about three hours out, with wind gusts throwing spray the length of the boat, the engine died. All efforts to restart it prove unsuccessful. “Alexei, there is a 25hp outboard motor on the transom. Let me get it started. Take the wheel and keep us headed into the wind. That will keep us from rolling so much while I work on the engine.”
The Captain opened the engine compartment. After much effort, under trying conditions, he eventually found a clogged fuel line. He replaced the portion of the fuel line that was clogged and restarted the engine. After shutting off the outboard and taking the wheel from Alexei, he got the boat back on the original compass course. Having lost about two hours making the repairs, they now faced the full force of the storm.
Captain Boyd said, “We still have about one hour to get to the village. Grab a couple of life vests out of the lower compartment, hand me one and put on yours. Make sure Lev is okay below and then come back to the port side of the pilothouse to watch ahead. There is so much rain I can barely see out the front windscreen.”
Shouting over the whistling of the wind in the mast wires, he said, “Last night before I went to sleep, I was thinking of my wife and son together in heaven. It was as though they were watching out for me. I became concerned about the people that live in the villages around the lake. Those people depend on my hauling their cargo and mail and keeping them in touch with the outside world. I asked myself what they would do without my help. I came to the conclusion that I shouldn’t let them down. I don’t think my wife and son would want that either. I got the distinct feeling that my son wanted his mother’s name on the boat. Maybe tomorrow morning you could help me paint my wife’s name on the boat and get the registration papers ready.”
The boat continued taking water over the bow. It drained off the deck slowly which made conditions treacherous. The Captain asked Alexei to take the wheel then he grabbed the sea anchor out of the side compartment and with much difficulty, fastened it to the transom. He then, after several tries, threw it over the aft end of the boat. As he took the wheel back from Alexei, he said, “Maybe that little bit of extra drag will help.”
Saying a little prayer to stifle the fear, Alexei kept staring ahead into the gloom. He wiped the rain from his eyes. All of a sudden he shouted excitedly, “Captain! Captain! Look... something huge...”
Shouting back over the raging storm, “I see it now Alexei. It looks like a small island. I will try to get in the lee of it. Maybe we can get out of the wind and ride out the storm.”
As they crested a large wave, Alexei, in a panic, screamed at the top of his lungs, “Big rock!...Big rock!...”
Captain Boyd saw it just in time to spin the wheel sharply to port putting the boat broadside to the wind. The vessel struck the rock with such force that the heavy equipment broke loose. It shifted to the starboard side of the boat. With so much weight on one side of the boat the strength of the wind caused it to capsize. Water streamed in through the hole in the side of the boat and flooded the engine compartment. The engine coughed and died. The Captain was knocked down by the force of the collision. Just as he was getting up, the pin holding the boom in place shattered. The boom swung widely, striking the Captain’s head and knocking him overboard.
Alexei was also knocked down in the collision. As he lay on the deck, somewhat stunned, he heard the Captain scream as he went overboard. Alexei shouted to him. By the time he got to his feet the boat was sinking. He crawled to the main cabin hatch. It had flipped open. He stuck his head in and shouted, “Lev! Lev! Where are you?” Lev came dog-paddling slowly over to him. He grabbed Lev and lifted him up onto the pilot house roof which was still above water. He moved inside and swam forward to the door leading to the front cabin to retrieve his knapsack. He pulled on the door with as much force as he could muster, but it did not budge. He thought: It’s jammed. I must find something to pry it open.
The water kept pouring into the cabin as the boat slipped lower into the water. Finding a large screwdriver in one of the drawers, he tried to pry the door open until his hands became stiff from the cold water. The water became so deep in the cabin that the only air he could get was what was trapped under the ceiling. He kept grabbing a breath and then dropping underwater to pry open the door. He continued until he was freezing from the cold water. It was all to no avail. He could not get it open. He felt so, so cold. He thought: Maybe I should just stay here. I have lost everything.
As he was trying to stay afloat in the frigid water in the cabin, Alexei glimpsed someone approaching. He said, “Mother is that you?”
“Alexei, remember you have the power. Pray for help.”
Alexei, triggered by his mother’s words, said a silent prayer. With all the will he could muster, holding his breath, he pulled himself hand over hand to the end of the main cabin. He heaved himself up the stairs and exited the door. He reached up and caught hold of the roof of the pilot house.
Staring down at him, were two big brown eyes, in a body that shivered uncontrollably. Alexei, with relief in his voice, said, “Lev, I thought I had lost you.” Looking desperately around, he spotted the little dinghy hanging by one davit on the aft end of the boat. He made his way to the dinghy and untied it. The water was so high it floated where he untied it. He grabbed the rope tied to the dinghy and made his way back to Lev.
Lev jumped into his arms. Both of them climbed into the dinghy. There was a paddle tied to the bottom. He untied it and pushed away from the boat. He paddled to where he last saw Captain Boyd fall into the water and began shouting, “Captain!... Captain!...” He heard nothing except the noise of the storm. He kept shouting. No answer came.
Alexei said, “Lev we are freezing, and the dinghy could turn over at any time. We have to find somewhere safe. The rock we hit must be part of the island I saw. I’ll paddle to my right and see what we can find.”
Less than fifty yards from where they struck the rock the wind began to calm, and the waves were not as high. As Alexei kept paddling he spotted a gravel beach and headed for it. They were in the lee of the island and out of the storm’s direct force. “Lev, I’ll get out and pull the dinghy up onto the gravel.” He did so and tied the rope to a large rock. “We must find a place to get out of the cold.”
After scouting around, Alexei found a large fir tree under which they could crawl. The needles under the tree were dry. They crawled under the tree into a depression he had made by scooping out needles. Alexei took off his wet clothes and spread them out on the needles to dry. With Lev snuggled tight to him, Alexei covered them both up with the dried needles to retain their body heat. Being emotionally drained and dead tired, Alexei dropped off into a deep sleep just as he thought: Thank you, mother. You let me know I had the power, the faith I needed to pray for help. I don’t know what happened to Captain Boyd. I tried, but couldn’t find him. He may have drowned after getting knocked overboard. If he did, and you see him, tell him thanks for me.
In the community of Kokhanok, Father Duncan became concerned when the boat failed to arrive on schedule. He called but could not raise anyone on the radio. He thought: Maybe the radio got knocked out because of the storm. He radioed Iliamna to find out when they left and if anyone had heard anything from Captain Boyd. The answer he received was that they had left early in the morning, and they had not heard anything since then. He said to a couple of the villagers standing near him, “Maybe, because of the storm they found somewhere on one of the islands to pull in and ride out the storm. The storm has run its course, and it should clear up by mid-morning. If we don’t hear anything by then, let’s take a couple of boats and run the course they would have taken. We’ll meet at 8:00am at the dock.”
The next morning, at 8:00am, still having heard nothing, the search boats left to retrace the course Captain Boyd would have taken. Just after dark, both search boats returned without finding anything.
Father Duncan placed several radio calls to Iliamna, but nobody had heard anything. He then radioed the Army Airforce Station Commander in King Salmon and reported the boat missing and what they had done so far in the search. The Station Commander asked who was missing. On hearing it was Boyd, the response was, “I know Captain Boyd very well. He’s a great guy and a very experienced skipper. After everything he has gone through, and now this! We have to find him.” The Station Commander said he would contact Owen Hammond to help with the search. I know he would want to help. Father Duncan said they would also be out the next morning to continue the search.
Father Duncan, who had been waiting for his reassignment, finally got word he will be taking over a parish just outside Fairbanks. They asked him to report to his new parish within two weeks. The priest, who will be taking Father Duncan’s place at Kokhanok, will not arrive until after Father Duncan has left so he will be on his own to begin work with the villagers.
Pamela Potan, while waiting at Ladd Field for her next assignment, called the Lodge in Iliamna to check that Alexei had arrived safely. She learned that he had left Iliamna but had not arrived at Kokhanok and that a search was under way. She went immediately to the Ladd Field Commander’s office. She had some time off for R&R and requested a week. After getting approval, she called the Anchorage airport cargo hanger to locate Owen Hammond. She left a message that she was catching a flight to Anchorage that morning and, if there were any way, she would like to help in the search for Alexei. She asked him to get hold of her as soon as possible. On arriving at the Anchorage airport, a message was waiting for her. It read: Got your message. I will arrive in Anchorage this afternoon. Meet me in the cargo hanger.
Pamela met Owen when he arrived. Owen said, “Good to see you. Let’s refuel and head for Iliamna. I can use an extra pair of eyes while we fly search patterns.”
For six days straight, Pamela and Owen flew search patterns back and forth following the course that Captain Boyd would have traveled. They saw nothing. No wreckage. No sign of the boat; nor any survivors. Finally, with no time left, Pamela had Owen drop her off in Anchorage. With tears in her eyes, Pamela’s parting words to Owen were, “After coming so far, and at the end of his journey, it is a shame that Alexei didn’t make it. Owen, I have to get back; duty calls. I wish I had more time. Thanks for letting me help.”
“Pam, thanks for caring.”
Three weeks had passed since the MV-TRAVIS BOYD disappeared. Those searching did not found anything from the wreckage or any trace of those who were on the boat. Pilots flew over the area and spotted nothing. The fishing boats searched every day. It became hopeless. The weather got progressively worse. With an early winter coming, it became too dangerous to continue the search. Those wishing to search could do nothing until next spring. Everyone assumed the worst.